John N. LaChance, age 61, of 1412 North 23rd Street; Escanaba and former St. Nicholas area resident in Delta County, died Sunday morning, January 6th, 2008 at home following a brief illness.

John was born May 20th, 1946 at St. Francis Hospital in Escanaba, the son of Stephen and Corinne (LaPorte) LaChance, was raised in St. Nicholas and was a 1964 graduate of the Perkins High School. He served in the National Guard and later married the former Helen E. Seifert at St. Joseph Church in Perkins on April 16th, 1966 and they resided in the St. Nicholas area for a number of years.

John retired from Mead Paper Co (New Page Corp.) after 37 years of service where he was a millwright for 15 years before becoming a store-room clerk. In addition, he and his wife also owned and operated “LaChance Grocery” in Perkins from 1976 to 1979. John and Helen later relocated to Escanaba in 1992.

John is currently a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Escanaba and a former long-time member of St. Joseph Church in Perkins. John is a member of the Escanaba AMVETS and the Moose Lodge of Tamarac, Florida where he and his wife enjoyed vacationing. He was a former member of the Perkins Lions Club, Perkins American Legion and the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Organization, and enjoyed donating his time and talents with the Habitat for Humanity.

John enjoyed hunting, however, driving and traveling with his Harley-Davison motorcycle was a particular source of pleasure for him. He and Helen took trips on the motorcycle from Maine to California which created wonderful memories for both of them.

Having hosted for many years in the “International Student Foreign Exchange Program” also created a plethora of additional “family members” for his immediate family. John, Helen, and his daughter, Danielle, have subsequently traveled, by invitation, to numerous locations throughout the world to visit their exchange student families.

John is remembered by family and friends as a person who enjoyed traveling, either on short day trips or on extended vacations with his family, and as an individual who was kind-hearted and ready to assist anyone who he perceived was in need of help or a kind word.

John LaChance survivors include his wife of 41 years, Helen,

1 Daughter-Danielle LaChance of North Lauderdale, FLA

2 grandchildren who he greatly loved, Jean Daniel Lissade and Jean Philippe Lissade,

1 Brother- Peter LaChance of Trenary,

3 Sisters- Mary (Charles) Ahler of Chatham, Rose (Walter “Skip”) Anderson of the St. Nicholas area, Annette LaChance of Grand Rapids

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by an infant brother, Jerome, and by another brother, Thomas Daniel LaChance.

The family of John N. LaChance will receive friends on Thursday at the Skradski Funeral Home in Gladstone from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mass of Christian burial will follow on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Church in Perkins with Rev. Fr. Jacek Wtyklo and Rev. Fr. Gilbert Neurohr  officiating. Luncheon will follow services in the St. Joseph Church Parish Hall. Burial will be in the Perkins Cemetery. The Skradski-Boyce Family Funeral Homes of Delta County are assisting the LaChance family.